Making best use of the pitch

When Australia's bowlers came out, you could tell what the plan was: bowl a good length just outside off stump, and the ball would do the rest

Wisden Stats

13-Dec-2003

When Australia's bowlers came out, you could tell that the plan was to bowl a good length, just outside off stump, and allow the ball to do the rest. In comparison India stuck to a line just outside off but banged the ball in short a lot more. Nothing wrong with that, except that India didn't have the pace for it, and were guilty of overdoing things. What's more, they did not mix up their deliveries.

The Australians slipped in short balls every now and then, keeping the batsmen on the back foot. This pattern was usually followed by a delivery that invited the batsmen to drive on the front foot. It worked like a charm - Andy Bichel dismissed the openers, and Sachin Tendulkar, as a result of unsure footwork.

	Aus bowlers	Ind bowlers
Good length	159	461
Short of a good length	84	169
Short	33	60
Half-volley	28	166
Yorker	2	7

That shifty man

Andy Bichel, holding on to his place in the side by a thread, was knocked around early in India's innings. Then, he discovered the seam. Getting the ball to shift off the wicket, outside the off stump, he made the batsmen play, miss, prod, and then get out. Akash Chopra mishit a seaming delivery straight back to Bichel, while legcutters took care of Sehwag and Tendulkar.

Overs	12
Runs	55
Wickets	3
Pitched just outside off stump	67
On a good length	41
Short balls	8
Offcutter	7
Legcutter	6

Seven years for a five-for

Anil Kumble had cause to celebrate. This was his first overseas fivewicket haul after as many as seven years. The last one came long, long ago, in 1996-97, when Tendulkar was captain. After toiling away on the first day, Kumble mixed up his deliveries frequently on the second morning, making it difficult for the batsmen to score off him.

	2^nd day	1^st day
Overs	15	28
Runs	39	115
Wickets	4	1
Legbreak	72	146
Topspinner	2	6
Googly	9	12
Flipper	8	4

The rusty run machine

Sachin Tendulkar's dismissal for 1 brought to light a prolonged loss of Test form. In his last 10 innings, he has reached double figures only three times, of which two were half-centuries. The substandard pitches in New Zealand notwithstanding, it is still a poor showing for a man who averages a century every six innings.

Opponent	Venue	Tendulkar	Team total
New Zealand - 1^st Test	Wellington	8 & 51	161 & 121
New Zealand - 2^nd Test	Hamilton	9 & 32	99 & 154
New Zealand - 1^st Test	Ahmedabad	8 & 7	500-5 & 209-6
New Zealand - 2^nd Test	Chandigarh	55 & 1	424 & 136-4
Australia - 1^st Test	Brisbane	0	409

Andy Bichel Sachin Tendulkar Anil Kumble Australia vs India India tour of Australia